Este rey de los romanos 1

Jerusalem National Sound Archives placement: Y5627a/28
Referenced and notated in: Moroccan Sephardic Romancero, pg. 106, Gaon Books, House, 2018 Susana Weich-Shahak.

The romance tells the story of the rape of the noble Roman lady Lucretia by Tarquin Sextus (son of the last king of Rome, Tarquin the Proud). This romance is well known and was published in the 16th century, a time when Lucretia was considered a paragon of chastity. In the original ending, Lucretia committed suicide. In this version, it has been replaced by a somewhat forced happy ending with a wedding - typical of the Sephardic tradition, which tends to avoid tragic outcomes.

Text:
Este rey de los romanos        que Atarquino se llamaba
namoróse de Lucrecia,        Lucrecia  'sta  apalabrada.
Y, para dormir con ella,     armara una grande traza:
vistióse todo de reino,       fuérase para su casa.
Lucrecia, como le viera,   como 'l rey le aposentara:
sentóle en silla de oro      con los sus clavos de plata,
púsole mesa redonda,         cuchillo y tenedor de plata;
con un negro de los suyos     mandó a hacerle la cama,
púsole cinco almadraques,     sábanas de fina Holanda.
Y a eso de la medianoche       Atarquino se levanta,
tomó candil de oro en mano      y en la otra, la su espada,
fuese para los palacios      donde la Lucrecia  estaba.
- Lucrecia, si me la cumples,   reina serás y abastada,
Lucrecia, si no la cumples,   matarte con la mi espada.
- Que me mates, que me dejes,    a mí no se me da nada,
más vale morir honrada        que no reina y deshonrada.
Tomara tinta y papel,        presto  escribió una carta:
- Sepáis, mi querido dueño,   querido dueño en el alma,
que ese perro de Atarquino     mancharte quiere tu cama.
[El marido que lo oyera,     la cabeza le cortara,
ésto se le hace al hombre    que quiere mujer casada. ]
No son tres días pasados,    las ricas bodas se arman.   

    [ ] versos agregados, leídos del MS de su madre

Translation:
This king of the Romans,   who was called Atarquino,
fell in love with Lucrecia    Lucrecia was already promised.
And, to lie with her,   he devised a great trick:
he dressed himself as royalty,   and went off to her house.
Lucrecia, when she saw him,   when the king took his lodging,
seated him on a golden chair,   with its nails made of silver,
set for him a round table,  knife and fork of silver;
with one of her servants   she ordered him a bed made,
she laid five mattresses,   sheets of fine Holland linen.
And around midnight   Atarquino rose up,
took a golden lamp in his hand,   and in the other, his sword,
went off to the chambers   where Lucrecia was.
Lucrecia, if you grant me this,    you shall be queen and wealthy;
Lucrecia, if you deny me,   I’ll kill you with my sword.
Whether you kill me or let me be,   it matters not to me at all
better to die with honor   than to live queen and dishonored.
She took ink and paper,   and quickly wrote a letter:
Know, my dear beloved,   my dear beloved of my soul,
that this dog Atarquino   wishes to defile your bed.
[When her husband heard it,   he cut off his head
this is what happens to the man   who desires a married woman.]
Not three days had passed,   when the rich wedding was prepared.

[ ] Added lines, read from her mother's notes